Under the Siren's Spell
Chapter 16:
"Coming Home"
♆
Charlie
The moon is out and the soft clouds offer a sort of filter over it, making the light relaxing and serene. My journey has calmed me, but I still don't know how to feel. I've decided to try and put Ethan's past behind me, because if I don't, it could eat away at me.
I told Xander that I'd be home tonight, but staring at my boat, I feel sort of scared. There's no telling what's waiting up there for me and walking around on freshly sprouted legs sounds like anything but a good time.
But I give in, letting the water drop me off on deck where the moonlight reflects off of my scales like gentle mood lighting. I'll miss them and I'll miss the freedom that swimming in my home offers, but I know that I'll always enjoy being a pirate. It's like playing pretend or being an actor, something highly enticing. Being a human pirate is fun, but I know that my true place will always be under the water.
Once my tail turns into legs, I limp to my cabin and fall against the door, catching my breath. The longer I spend as a merperson, the more painful it is to adjust to walking and breathing air. It hurts.
The door opens and Ryder smiles at me, helping me up. "Hello, Charlie."
"Charlie?" I notice Ethan curled up on the floor. When he sees me, he jumps up and runs to me, knocking me over in a hug and bursting into tears.
"W-Why are you crying?" I ask, panting and petting his hair.
"I missed you." He sobs. "You left me."
Ryder watches us with a sad expression.
"I-I'm sorry. I won't leave anymore..." I close my eyes and focus on my breathing.
I can hear Xander sigh sadly. "Welcome back, Charlie."
"Thank you," I force out. "Thank you too, Ryder."
Ryder nods. "There's something about Ethan you should know..."
"What is it? Is he okay?" I lift his head up to check for injury.
Xander just looks away, holding his shoulder.
"Come on inside." Ryder offers and pulls Ethan off of me, making him scream, "No!"
"Ethan, can you carry me inside? It's hard to walk."
"Yes." He nods and picks me up gently, carrying me to my bed where I notice Toby has taken residence next to.
I look at Toby and then Ethan.
He sets me down and holds me close, his breathing uneven, a combination of relieved and afraid.
"Something happened to Ethan while you were gone. He kind of... lost his mind." Ryder begins, sitting next to Xander.
"He became needy..." Xander says. "He became suicidal."
"Ethan almost drowned himself trying to get to a mirage of you," Toby stutters.
My expression falls and I lean into Ethan, feeling incredibly guilty. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be sorry." Ryder says gently. "It's not your fault. Ethan would agree if he could think right now. Hopefully it wears off now that he has you back."
I nod and turn around and bring my lips to his, trying to calm him down. Ethan kisses me back eagerly, his hands trailing to my hips.
"Need you." He mutters.
"That's not all..." Ryder interrupts and looks to Xander.
"He uh... stabbed me and then attached to me because I felt like you." Xander explains.
I feel my eyes widen. "Xan—"
"I'm okay. Ethan was just out of it and hurting." Xander looks at his hands.
"Ethan seemed to feel legitimately bad," Toby offers.
I look at Toby and then Ethan again. "Ethan, is Toby my replacement?"
"Tiny Charlie." He says. "But no one could ever compare to you, not even Xander."
I hate feeling jealousy, so I push it away. The feeling always makes me feel sinful. I just close my eyes and bury my face in Ethan's neck.
"I-I have to g-g-get to work!" Toby squeaks and runs off.
"I'm not mad at you, Toby..." I say, my voice fading out. I'm sure he heard me before he left though.
"Yours." Ethan rocks. "Yours. Charlie's." He points to himself.
"Ethan..." I press my forehead to his and let out a shaky breath.
He stays there and for a minute all is silent. It breaks with a groan from Ethan and he pulls back slightly to rub his forehead. "Ah, fuck."
"I'm sorry, did you not want me close?" I ask, moving out of his lap and wrapping the blanket around me.
"I can get you clothes," Xander offers.
"No need, I'm tired." I rub my eyes.
Ethan watches me. "You didn't have to leave." He says and then groans again. "What did I do—" he stops and his cheeks grow red and he looks over at Xander, mortified.
"Ethan?" I ask, curling my hair.
"Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I'm sorry." He says to my brother.
"It's okay." Xander looks at his hands.
"Why did you stab Xander?"
Ethan closes his eyes, thinking. "He was upset with me... he said that you didn't love me but... I wanted you to love me and I was mad that I wanted that, so I just... stabbed him." Ethan covers his face with his hands. "That's so fucked up."
"You want me to love you?"
"I did, I do, this thing inside me wants that more than anything." Ethan moves his hands and drops his head. "I went fucking insane."
"I shouldn't have left." I hold my head.
"No," Ethan shakes his head and wipes his eyes. "No, I'm not going to be some ball chained to your leg. You should be free."
"We're heading for land. You told me you wanted to be there." I play with the blanket, not meeting his gaze.
He shivers and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter what I want anymore. I won't survive if I'm away from you."
"If you fall in love..." I start.
"Maybe Toby," Xander suggests and I see a look in his eyes, a protective glint.
"Toby?" Ethan looks out at the ship and his cheeks turn pink. "Oh, shit, that poor kid."
"Is he on your list?" I ask.
"My what?"
"List of possible lovers..."
"I don't have a list." Ethan growls and starts pacing. "I'm not going to fall in love anytime soon. You should... you should just kill me."
Ryder gasps. "Ethan, no."
My eyes sting.
"I should've died on my ship." Ethan says and comes over to me. "You don't deserve to have to drag me around for the next thirty some years. It's not fair. I've no life left, kill me."
"No." I turn away.
"Charlie—"
"I don't want to. End of discussion." I pull the blankets over my head and plop down. "I'll find a way to lift... lift... lift this curse."
I feel the bed dip. "Okay." Ethan says sadly.
"I'll fix you. You'll get your life back, even if I have to cut my tongue out to do so."
"No," I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Please don't... it's not a curse."
"Then what in Hades's name is it, Ethan?"
"My redemption." He says softly. "Because of your song, I can see now that you were never the monster." He takes a breath. "I was."
"You want me to kill you. I can't just do that for no reason. It'd break Ryder. It'd break me."
He nods. "Then you don't have to. I'll find a place here, I'll help out, work on the ship."
"Your life..." I glare at my hands.
"My life was killing." Ethan sighs. "Honestly, if I could go back, I don't know what the hell I would do."
I sit up. "I'll fall in love with you."
Xander nearly chokes. "What?!"
"You said you want me to love you, Ethan," I explain.
He nods.
"Then I'll do that."
"You can't just decide to fall in love." Ryder stares.
"Something in Ethan wants me to. Maybe if I love him, he won't need me anymore and then I'll be the one with a broken heart." I grin.
"You don't need to keep sacrificing yourself for my mistakes." Ethan says.
"Xander, Ryder, leave. I'm going to have sex with Ethan."
"You said it hurts!" Xander hisses.
"I don't want sex." Ethan says.
"Then what did you need me for?" I frown, crawling into his lap and sneaking his hands under the blanket.
"I just wanted to hold you again..." Ethan say wistfully. "I wanted to be in your presence."
"So if you hold me, you won't want to die anymore?" I ask.
"Yeah. I already feel much better."
I look at my brother and his proclaimed princess. "I want to be alone with Ethan."
Ryder nods and stands, waiting for Xander.
Xander grabs his hand and exits and I quickly start stripping Ethan.
"Charlie," Ethan sighs, "what are you doing?"
"Taking your clothes off."
"Why?" He asks.
"It feels better to me."
He nods and helps, bringing me close again once he's finally nude.
I feel him. "You aren't as skinny as when I left. You seem healthier." I grin.
"Xander forced bread down my throat." He scoffs.
"I'd like to feed you sometime." I hum and wrap my arms around him.
"Sure." He agrees.
"So you're mine?"
He hesitates, but nods. "Yeah. All yours till I die." He chuckles.
"Promise?"
He looks into my eyes. "Yeah. I promise."
"What's the difference between sex and making love?" I ask.
Ethan thinks. "Well, making love is something you do with someone you love to show them your vulnerability and love. It's intimate. Sex, you can do with just anybody and it doesn't have to mean anything."
"Just anybody." I repeat and nod.
"Yeah. I mean, people in love have sex too. I heard Ryder fucking screaming last night." He rolls his eyes.
"So I'm just anybody right now." I close my eyes and lick him boredly.
"I... no. You're not just anybody." Ethan looks down.
"Your enemy? Is it what I've heard called hate sex?"
Ethan chuckles. "No, well, maybe the first time, but no. You're not just a means to get off. I... have an interest in you." He blushes.
"I'm interested in you too." I move to his neck and bite down, wondering if this is how Xander left those huge marks on Ryder.
"Then you're not just anybody." Ethan bares more of his neck for me subconsciously. "We're interested in each other."
"Mhmm. Beautiful." I hum against his neck and start to suck.
"I have missed you." Ethan admits. "Me."
"Is it you who wants some Kingly love?" I giggle.
Ethan laughs as well. "Maybe I wanted a little too much."
"You can't have Xander too." I bite down again.
This time, Ethan whimpers and his grip on my hips tightens. "I-I don't want him. But when I was going a little mad, I did crawl into bed with him. They tied me down after that." He points to the restraints.
I look at the metal shackles. "Fancy." I grab the key off the nightstand and look at it before setting it back down and I lock one around my wrist and giggle.
"What are you doing now?" Ethan asks and his mouth finds its way to my neck.
I moan quietly. "Experimenting."
"Do you like being tied down?" Ethan asks and pins me to the bed, hovering over me, looking like a predator.
"I like you looking at me like that," I say.
Ethan smirks and tucks his thigh between my legs, rubbing my cock. "I like the way you look under me too." He purrs and attacks my neck with his tongue.
I shiver and let out a choked moan.
"I can give you anything you want without penetrating you." Ethan says huskily. "So tell me what you want." He bites down on my shoulder.
"I want everything," I close my eyes.
His lips come up and brush mine. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm your slut." I look into his eyes.
He smirks. "My slut. My cumslut. My whore." He kisses me heatedly.
I moan and try to grind against him. "Your whore. I want to be your filthy little whore." The words come out and I don't know why, but they feel right.
"Mmm." Ethan moans and his hand moves to my dick and starts jerking me slowly. "Does my little whore want to taste my cock?"
"Fuck my mouth," I try to grab him, but the hand is still shackled.
Ethan stares, shocked for a moment before developing a smirk. "As you wish, your highness." He locks my other wrist to the bed and situates himself on my chest, pressing his dick against my lips.
I open up wide and keep my teeth out of the way.
Ethan slides his cock in and moans before beginning to rock, thrusting in and out slowly.
I moan around his dick and plead for more, but he's filling me up.
"Such a good slut." He purrs and grips my hair, thrusting harder and faster.
My eyes tear up, but I don't gag, glad that I don't have that reflex. It makes me better and I want to be perfect. I moan, using my tongue as much as I can without overdoing it.
Ethan increases his pace again, pounding into me ruthlessly, pleasure clear on his face. "Fuck, you feel so fucking good." He moans and pulls my head up to meet his thrusts.
Goosebumps appear on my skin and I feel like I'm burning up and I love it. I love being used. It feels so good.
Ethan doesn't even warn me of his orgasm, just comes deep down my throat, moaning my name while he does it.
I swallow and moan his name around his dick, though I doubt he can tell.
Ethan pulls out slowly and kisses me before I even get the chance to breathe. I kiss back, opening my mouth for him and moving to meet him and deepen the kiss as much as possible.
Ethan's hand moves to my dick again and he covers it in pre-cum before moving his fingers down to my ass, tapping the hole to ask permission.
I nod. "Fill me up."
He smirks and kisses me again while inserting the first finger. "Tell me if it ever gets uncomfortable."
"Okay." I close my eyes and focus on calming down and relaxing, hoping that it'll help the process.
"You feel so good, so tight." Ethan compliments and adds the second finger slowly. "I love touching you, every part of you. I'd probably be happy living inside you."
I look at him, highly flattered. "How much of your hand can you fit in me?"
He groans. "If I go slow, the whole thing."
"Would you like that? I want to try that."
"I would love that." He smiles and kisses down my neck to my chest.
I moan, watching him. "You're so pretty. I love watching you fuck me."
Ethan blushes and he grinds against me, his fingers curling inside me.
My back arches and I let out a moan. "Feels goo—fuck!"
Ethan pauses. "Did I hurt you?"
"No." I don't blink. "It felt amazing. Do it again."
Ethan does it again, all while adding a third finger and his mouth attaches to my nipple.
"Oh— Ethan—" I moan.
"I love hearing your voice." Ethan moans and presses his fingers against my prostate over and over again. "Such beautiful sounds, they feel almost as enchanting as your song."
"I-I can sing for you i-if you want." I stutter, moaning.
"Don't," Ethan adds a fourth finger, slowly stretching my hole. "I want to be fully cognizant while I fuck you."
"You want me." I shudder. "It's not just the song."
"It's not just the song." He confirms. "I want you." He adds the fifth and I moan.
"T-There's so much of you in me." I move my hips slowly, the boat rocking slightly.
"You're such a greedy slut, taking it all in." He growls sexily and pushes his fist in and out slowly. "Your walls look so pretty sucking me in."
"S-Stay inside. You can live inside like you want—" I moan.
"Yes." He rubs his knuckles against my prostate and kisses me dominatingly.
"You feel so good." I pant. "I-I-I, your life isn't long enough. Can't— Can't— Stay— Need you to— Stay!"
"I'm staying, baby, I'm staying right here with you." He promises.
My eyes tear up, but nothing falls. "L-Longer."
His eyes widen. "Charlie..."
I look at Ethan. "S-Sorry—"
"No," he presses his forehead to mine. "It's okay."
"I can't keep you forever." I close my eyes.
"But you want to?" He asks, his fist moving slowly.
"I— It wouldn't be fair to you, so no..."
"Ask me again in a few days." He pants, looking into my eyes.
"Yes." I nod.
His fist speeds up and his mouth attaches to my neck. "You're mine too."
"Yours," I purr.
"Come for me, Charlie." He begs, fucking me harder.
"Ethan!" I moan out and come, arching my back and closing my eyes tightly.
Ethan fucks me through it before pulling his fist out slowly. I feel his tongue on my body, licking up what I'd just released.
I look down and watch him. "Does... you don't have to use your mouth if you don't want to." I blush.
"It tastes amazing." Ethan moans, eating it all.
"Like the other people you've been with?" I cock my head to the side. "Like yours?"
"No," he shakes his head. "So much better."
I blush. "What does it taste like to you?"
"The best thing I've ever tasted. Ambrosia seasoned by the sea." He purrs and moves his head down to my enlarged hole, sticking his lips, tongue, and nose inside, licking around it.
I blush, glad he can't see me.
He inhales and pulls away, crawling up to lay with me.
"Does it taste gross, my ass?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "No, it's the best ass I've ever tasted. I wouldn't try mine though." He chuckles.
"Why? Does it have lots of poop inside?" I burst out laughing.
Ethan flushes. "No, shut up."
"Mine is bigger, but I like yours." I pat his butt.
"Thank you. I'd use yours as a pillow if you let me." He chuckles.
"I would, but I like being held." I rub my eyes tiredly.
"I can do that." He wraps his arms around me.
"Tomorrow, maybe we can work out so that you feel like you're doing something. Have a practice sword fight or something." I yawn.
"Sure. Sounds good." He pets me.
I kiss him. He kisses back, his lips interlocking perfectly with mine.
"I don't know how you could want me, Charlie, but I'm glad you do."
My hands trace his body. "You're interesting and pretty. Being with you is confusing, but nice."
"It's confusing for me too, believe me." Ethan chuckles.
"How will you react to meeting my fiancée?" I ask cautiously.
Ethan makes a disgusted face. "Why do I have to meet her?" His eyes widen. "She's not on this ship, is she?!"
"She's visiting," I say. "She will be on the ship. Is that a problem?"
"Yes." He squirms. "I don't know how the song is going to react to that..."
"Oh..." I bite my lip. "I didn't want to have to leave you alone again."
He starts to shake. "No, no, don't leave me alone."
"Not like that. That's why I asked if you could meet her, but you said that you can't." I quickly start calming him.
"Am I even important enough to meet her? I'm just your fucking prisoner. Your pet."
"I thought we just went over that we aren't just anybody to each other..."
"Your people don't know that." Ethan grumbles. "All they know is that I'm under your spell. And the way I acted the other day..." he shivers. "No one's going to have any respect for me. I might as well be your slave."
"Just come with me to meet her. I'll kiss you in front of my people if that makes you feel better. I told you that I'd fall, so please don't act like this."
"I'm your siren sexslave, I'm there to be kissed and touched." He rolls his eyes. "I don't doubt you, Charlie. I just know that here, I'm not who I would be seen as if I were around humans. Here, I'm either a killer or I'm yours and without a mind of my own."
"You don't want to be mine anymore?" I ask.
"I want people to know I still have some of my will." He clarifies. "That I'm yours because of my will, not your spell."
"You're not my whore," I whisper, biting his neck. "I'm your dirty little whore."
He groans. "I know that, but no one else does."
"Do you want everyone to know?" I bite harder and suck.
"I... I don't know." He moans quietly. "I just don't want to seem weak. Back home, I was only of the most revered men alive. But now..."
"But now you have the attention of a legend." I giggle. "You own him too."
He seems to consider that. "Mmm, I guess that's true, but no one back home will ever know that. They'll believe you killed me, killed us all. That the infamous Captain Ethan Liam Dechart fell to the Siren."
"You care a lot about your reputation. It makes it harder to keep you happy."
"Ryder always said I care too much, but when I'm gone, that's all I'll be." He smiles bitterly.
"When I'm dead, I'll become one with the ocean," I say dreamily.
He hums. "That sounds nice. We become one with the ground."
"You're a pirate. Wouldn't you rather be one with the ocean?"
"Yes." He agrees.
I close my eyes. "Be a good boy tomorrow for me, please. Maybe I'll let you play with my wings or something."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be good." He waves me off.
"No wings?" I smirk.
"No, I wanna see them." he nuzzles me.
"Then see them you shall." I yawn.
"You can sleep, I'll stay with you." Ethan says softly.
"Do you want to sleep with me?" I blush.
"Yes." He pulls me close. "I don't ever want to be away from you again. Even if it's only ten feet."
"Günt," I say, laughing.
Ethan raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"It means goodnight. Say it." I squeeze his cheeks to help with pronunciation.
"Günt." He pronounces slowly.
I purr. "Günt." I nod.
Ethan closes his eyes and relaxes.
___________________________
Author's Note:
Charlie's back! And thank the gods Ethan got better.
Thoughts?
-Jex